Vending machine



April 21, 1931. 'G. s. LEWIS 1,302,058

' VENDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 30, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 11a 04272 for.

ea ye 6. Zezas,

April 21, 1931. e. s. LEWIS VENDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 30, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 7" e 5 lean 5 6,

a e n April 21, 1931. SLEM 1,802,058

VENDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 30, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet s fizz/ ators; Gear 6 5 Zea/e6, J5 Q7 Patented Apr. 2 1, 1931 PATENT oFFicE GEORGE S. LEWIS, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS VENDING MACHINE Application filed October 30, 1930. Serial No. 492,314.

My invention relates more particularly to vending machines of the so-called check-control type provided for the purpose of vending, under the control of checks such as coins, slugs or the like, articles stacked in flatwise opposed relation to each other, as for example and more particularly, packages of postage stamps.

My primary object-is to provide a novel,

16 simple and economical construction of vending machine of the character above referred to and which will be positive in operation and not be liable to impairment in use; and other objects as will be manifest from the i5 following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vending machine constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a view in sectional elevation of the machine, the section being taken at the irregular line 22 on Fig.3 and viewed in the direction of the arrows. Figure 3 is asection taken at the line 33 on Fig. '2 and viewed in the direction of the arrows this view showing the parts of the machine in their normal position.

Figure 1 is a view of the mechanism'shown in Fig. 3 illustrating one of the positions assumed thereby in the operation of actuating the mechanism for delivery of a packet of stamps, following the depositing of a coin into the machine; and

Figure 5, a view 'likeFig. 1 and of the mechanism therein shown illustrating the positions occupied by. the parts at the conclu-; sion of the article-delivering. operation and the releasing of the check from the mocha nism which it controls. V

, Referring to the particular illustrated embodiment of my invention it comprises a lower casing or housing structure 6 shown as formed oftwo substantially similar sections 7 and 8 which fit flatwise together along their marginal edges to form a space 9 in which the mechanism of the vending machine is located, the sections 7 and 8 being held together by screws which pass through endwiseabutting alined pairs of bosses 10 and 11 carried by the casing sections;

The casing 6 is surmounted by a supplemental casing 12 presenting a space 13,0pen

at its bottom and forming amagazinein which the articles to be vended and repre sented at 16 are stacked, the casing 12 being shown as secured to the casing'6 by, screws 14, and the top of the casing 6 being slotted as" represented at 15 in vertical alinementwith the open bottom of the magazine. Thejfront wall of the magazine and represented at .12 is a separate section and is vertically slidably mounted at its lateral edge as in grooves provided in the side-walls of the opening 12 in the casing in which the wall-section 12 is mounted. Any suitable means (not shown) being provided for preventing the withdrawal of the wall-section 12 It may be here stated that the articles 16 to be vended one at a time may, by way of example and preferably, be paper envelopes containing stamps to be vended which rest on thetop wall of the casing 6 at opposite edges. of the slot 15 and thus bridge across this slot, means being provided for exerting a downward pressure against thestack of articles to be vended, the means shown comprising a block 17 preferably of metal which rests on the uppermost one of the articles 16 and is preferably longitudinally grooved along its underface as represented at 18 for a purpose hereinafter explained.

In the operation of the mechanism hereinafter described the articles 16 are slid one at a time along the support on which they rest outwardly through a slot 19 presented between the lower edge of the front wall 12 of the casing 12 and the forward edge of the top of the casing 6, this slot being of slightly greater height than the thickness of the article to be vended to insure the delivery through the slot of one article only at a time.

Secured to the wall-section 12 and located to the rear of theslot 19 andin position to be engaged by the next to the lowermost one of the articles 16 is a. strip 20 of soft rubber which aids in insuring the delivery of one only of the articles at a time. The adjustment of the Wall-section 12 on the casing 6 to accommodate the machine for the accurate delivery, one at a time, of articles of different thicknesses is effected in the particular machine shown by the provision of a pair of vertically disposed screws 6 in the top of the casing 6 the upper ends of which form supports for the vertically movable wall-section 12" of the casing 12.

Referring now to the mechanism through the medium of which the delivery of the articles through the slot 19 is effected, this mechanism, in the particular illustrated embodiment of my invention comprises a shaft 21 journalled in the side wali of the casing section 7 and equipped at its outer end with an operating lever 22 for manual actuation, the inner end of the shaft 21 having rigidly secured thereto an arm 23 provided with a segmental rack portion 24. The mechanism just described also comprises a coil spring 25 which exerts force on the arm 23 tending to rotate it in counterclockwise direction in F 3, this spring surrounding the shaft 21 arid being connected at its opposite ends with the side wall of the casing section 7 and with the arm 23, respectively.

Cooperating with the arm 23 is a bar 26 containing slots 27 and 28 extending longitudinally thereof and provided at its upper end with a pair of upwardly projecting pins 29. Extending through the slots 27 and 28 are headed pins 30 and 31, respectively, and relative to which the bar 26 has limited longitudinal movement, the pin 30 being rigidly secured to a boss 32 carried by the side wall of the casing section 7 and the pin 31 being connected to the end of the arm 23 opposite to that equipped with the rack 24, the lower end of the bar 26 being provided with a peripherally grooved roller 32 extending into, and journalled in, spaced apart ears 33 on the lower end of this bar. A pin 34 secured to the boss 32 extends into the path of movement of the arm 23 and serves to hold the latter normally in the position shown in Fig. 3 against the tendency of the spring 25 to rotate this arm in counterclockwise di rection.

It may be here stated that by providing the mechanism just described the rotation of the shaft 21 in clockwise direction in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 against the resistance of the spring causes the bar 26 to swing in clockwise direction about the pivot 30, the pins 29 in this movement moving toward the front of the casing.

The pins 29 are provided for the purpose of engaging the lowermost article 16 and forcing the later forwardly through the slot 19 to a position in which it may be grasped by the operator and withdrawn from the machine, the mechanism, as will he hereinafter more fully described, being so constructed that the pins 29 will not engage the lowermost article 16 unless a check, such as a coin of the proper size, has been introduced into the machine before rotating the shaft 21.

The mechanism for rendering the pins 29 active to effect delivery of the lowermost article 16 under the control of a check comprises a lever 34 pivoted at its rear end, as indicated at 35 to the side wall of the casing section 7. The upper surface of the forward end of the lever 34 is of undulating form as represented at 36 to provide a series of cam surfaces for engagement by the roller 32. The forwardmost one of these cam surfaces and represented at 37 is engaged by the roller 32 in the normal position of the parts as represented in Fig. 3 and the rearmost cam surface represented at 38 and presenting an upwardly extending wall 39 at its rear end is so positioned as to receive the roller 32 in the final swinging movement of the bar 28 in clockwise direction for the purpose of swinging the lever 34 upwardly at its forward end and permitting of the discharge of the check as hereinafter fully explained. The cam surface 36 is of undulating form as shown between the cam portions 37 and 38 for the purpose of causing the pins 29, after once ongaging the lowermost article 16, to move in a substantially horizontal path a sufficient distance to project the article through the slot 19, the pins 29 thereafter moving downwardly to disengage from the article, in the movement of the roller 32 along the cam surface 38.

The undersurface of the forward end of the lever 34 is preferably reversely curved as represented at 40 and is provided at opposite sides thereof with plates 41 projecting forwardly beyond this surface and forming a check-receiving groove which is in vertical alinement with an upwardly-opening groove 42 provided on the inner surface of the front side of the casing 6. The groove 42 is in alinement with the lower end of the check-passage 43 of a check-chute 44 having a check-insertion slot 45 at its upper end, the walls of which, formed in sections, are shown as formed integrally with the sections of the casing 6. The check-passage 43 is provided with a downwardly and rearwardly slanting bottom 46 in alinement with the bottom of the groove 42 which latter likewise inclines downwardly and rearwardly as shown.

The various parts of the mechanism are so constructed and arranged that in the normal position of the parts the lever 34 extends at its forward end in vertically spaced relation from the bottom of the groove 42 and at such a distance therefrom that a check of the proper size, such as a coin of a certain denomination and represented at 47 and dropped into the slot 45, will gravitate to the position shown in Fig. 3 and be held in the check-receiving groove of the lever 34 and as an abutment for the outer end of the lever 34 which maintains the cam surface 36 at such an elevation that in the swinging of the bar- 28 along this cam surface the pins 29 will become engaged with the lowermost article and advance it into, and through, the

slot 19 to discharging position, the abutment surface 39 of the lever 36 being so disposed that the engagement of the roller 32 therewith, upon the conclusion of the clockwise i swinging of thebar 28 following the withdrawal of the pins 29 from engagement with the lowermost article 16, will operate to rock the lever 34 in counterclockwise direction to the position shown in Fig. 5 thereby releasing the check 47 from engagement with the lever 34 whereupon thecheck drops to the bottom of the casing, a check box represented at 49 and located in the bottom of the casing 6 being preferably provided to receive the checks.

The mechanism also comprises a lever 50 fulcr'umed between its ends on a boss proj ecting from the side wall of the casing section 7, the rear end of the lever 50 being provided with a projection 52 shown as eccentrically mounted for adjustment which extends beneath the lever 34. The forward end of the lever 50 is provided with an upwardly extending arm 53 terminating at its upper end in a projection 54 extending into the path of movement of the ratchet-equipped end of the arm 23. The projection 52 is provided for the purpose of elevating the lever 34, in the final return movement of the parts to the normal position shown in Fig. 3, into a position in which a check 47 deposited into the slot becomes lodged between the lever 34 and the groove 42 as shown in Fig. 3, the lifting of the arm 34 as stated being effected by the engagement of the ratchet-equipped end of the arm 23 with the projection 54 resulting in the clockwise rotation of the lever to the position shown in Fig. 3.

It will be understood that unless a check of the proper size is introduced into the ma chine and becomes lodged between the lever 34 and the bottom of groove 42 as stated the mechanism is inoperative to deliver an article, such delivery being prevented inasmuch as the arm 23 in its initial movement in clockwise direction moves in a direction away from the projection 54 thereby permitting the lever 34 to drop into such a position that in the movement of the roller 32 along the cam surface 36 bar 28 will not be raised into a position in which the pins 39 will swing into engagement with the lowermost article 7 16; it being understood fromthe foregoing that it is necessary that a check of the desired size be lodged between the lever 34 and thebottom of the groove 42 in order that the cam surface 36 be at such an elevation that the pins 29 will engage the lowermost article 16 when the bar 28 is rotated in clockwise direction.

To avoid, in the particular construction shown, the jamming of the ratchet-equipped end of the arm23 against the projection 54, a projection 52 isprovided on the lever50, this projection being shown as eccentrically mountedfor adjustment, the projection 52?. being so disposed that in the initial downward swinging of the lever 34, effecting the releasing of the check, the lever 34 engages the projection 52 and rocks the lever 50 clockwise into a position in which the vprojection 54 extends above the part of the arm 23 which engages the'projection 54 in the counterclockwise rotation of the arm 23, thus preventing the jamming referred to.

It is desirable that means he provided for preventing the return of the parts of the mechanism to the normal position shown in Fig. 3 following the partial rotation of the shaft 21 in clockwise direction after inserting a check into the machine, until after the movement of the parts to article-delivering position, the meansshown for this purpose comprising a dog 55 pivoted between its ends to the side wall of the casing section 7 as in-' dicated at 56, the lower end of this dog extending into the path of movement of a proteeth, in rotating in'clockwise direction in Fig. 3, idling past the upper toothed end of 1 the dog thus preventing retroactive movement of the arm 23. \Vhen the check 47 drops out of engagement with the lever 34 as hereinbefore stated, the lever 34 rotates in clockwise direction in Fig. 3 and by the engagement of the projection 57 with the lower end of the dog moves the latter out of a position in which it'interferes with the return movement of the arm 23 to normal position (Fig.

Means are also preferably provide-d to form a positive step preventing actuation of the mechanism beyond the position shown in Fig. 5, these means inthe construction shown comprising a stop member 58 secured to the side wall of the casing section 7 and extending into the path of the lever 34 in rocking in counterclockwise direction.

The bottom of the block 17 is grooved as state-d to avoid damage to the pins 29, should the machine be operated after all of the TIO riously modified and altered without departin from the spirit of my invention.

at I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A vending machine comprising, in combination, a magazine for the articles to be vended, a drive member, an article-engagingand-advancing member actuated by said drive member, a third member along which said second-referred-to member is movable and determining the path of movement of the latter and movable into and out of a position in which said second-referred-to member, in its movement by said drive member, engages the article, and a check-rest between which and said third member a check is receivable, said third member when engaging a check between it and said check-rest extending into a position for causing said second-referred-to member, when actuated, to engage and ad- Vance the article.

2. A vending machine comprising, in combination, a magazine for the articles to be vended, a rotatable drive member, an articleengaging-and advancing member actuated by said drive member, a third member along which said second-referred-to member is movable and determining the path of movement of the latter and movable into and out of a position in which said second-referred-to member, in its movement by said drive member, engages the article, and a check-rest between which and said third member a check is receivable, said third member when engaging a check between it and said check-rest extending into a position for causing said second'referred-to member, when actuated, to engage and advance the article.

3. A vending machine comprising, in combination, a magazine for the articles to be vended, a drive member, an article-engagingand-advancing member actuated by said drive member and adapted for longitudinal movement relative to said drive member, a third member along which said second-re ferred-to member is movable and determining the path of movement of the latter and movable into and out of a position in which said second-referred-to member, in its movement by said drive member, engages the arti- C19, and a check-rest between which and said third member a check is receivable, said third member when engaging a check between it and said check-rest extending into a position for causing said second-referred-to member, when actuated, to engage and advance the article.

4. A vending machine comprising, in combination a magazine for the articles to be vended, a rotatable drive member, an articleengaging-and-advancing member pivotally connected with said drive member eccentrically of the axis of the latter, a stationary pivot engaging said second-referred-to member to one side of the pivotal connection of said second-referred-to member with said drive member, said second-referred-to member being adapted for longitudinal movement relative to said pivots, a third member along which said secon-d-referred-to member is movable and determining the path of movement of? the latter and movable into and out of a position in which said second-referred-to member, in its movement by said drive member, engages the article, and a check-rest between which and said third member a check is receivable, said third member when engaging a check between it and said check-rest extending into a position for causing said second-referred-t0 member, when actuated, to engage and advance the article.

5. A vending machine comprising, in combination, a magazine for the articles to be \"ended, a drive member, an article-engaginga id-adwlncing member actuated by said drive member, a third member along which said second-relerred-to member is movable and. determinin the path of movement of the latter and movable into and out of a position in which said second-referred-to member in its n'iovement by said drive member engages the article. a check-rest between which and said third member a check is receivable, said third member when engaging a check between it and said check-rest extending into a position for causing said secondrcferred-to men'iber, when actuated, to engage and advance the article, and means operating during the return movement of said drive memher to normal position to move said third member into a position to receive a check between said third membcr and said check-rest.

6. A vending machine comprising, in combination a magazine for the articles to be vended, a drive member, an article-engagingand-advancing member actuated by said drive member, a third member along which said second-reierred-to member is movable and determining the path of movement of the latter and movable into and out of a position in which said second-reierred-to member in its movement by said drive member engages the article, a Check-rest between which and said third member a check is receivable, said third member when engaging a check between it and said checlerest extending into a position for causing said second-referred-to member, when actuated, to engage and advance the article, and a rock member operating during the return movement of said drive member to normal position to move said third member into a position to receive a check between said third member and said check-rest.

7. A vending machine comprising, in combination, a magazine for the articles to be vended, a drive member, an article-engagingand-advancing member actuated by said drive member, a tin rd. member along which said second-referred-to member is movable and determining the path of movement of the latter and movable into and out of a position in which said second-referred-to member in its movement by said drive member engages the article, a check-rest between which and said third member a check is receivable, said third member when engaging a check between it and said check-rest extending into a position for causingsaid second-referred-to member, when actuated to engage and advance the article, and means engaging, and operable by said drii e member during the return. movement of said drive member to'normal position to move said. third member into a position to receive a check between said third member and said check-rest.

8. A vending machine comprising, in combination, a magazine for the articles to be vended, a drive member, an article-engagingand-advancing member actuated by said drive member, a third member along which said second-referred-to member is movable and determining the path of movement of the latter and movable into and out of a position in which said second-referred-to member in its movement by said drive member engages the article, a check-rest between which and said third member a check is receivable, said third member when engaging a check between it and said check-rest extending into a position for causing said second-referred-to memher, when actuated, to engage and advance the article, said drive member having a ratchet portion, a dog cooperating with said ratchetto prevent premature return movement of said drive member and means for rendering said dog inactive except when said third member is engaged by a check.

9. A vending machine comprising, in combination, a magazine for the articles to be vended, a drive member, an article-engagingand-advancing member actuated by said drive member, a third member along which said second-referred-to memberis movable and determining the path of movement of the latter and movable into and'out of a position in which said second-referred-to member in its movement by said drive member engages the article, a check-restbetween which and said third member a check is receivable, said third member'when engaging a check be tween it and said check-rest extending into a position for causing said second-referred-to member, when actuated, to engage and advance the article, and means operating to move said third member to check-releasing position following the delivery of the article.

10. A vending machine comprising, in combination, a magazine for the articles to be vended, a drive member, an article-engagingand-advancing member actuated by said drive member, a third member along which said second-referred-to member is movable and determining the path of movement of the latter and movable into and out of a position in in the final movement of the latter to article delivery position for moving said third member to check-releasing position.

11. A vending machine comprising, in combination, a magazine for the articles to be vended, a drive member, an article-engagingand-advancing member actuated by said drive member, a third member along which said second-referred-to member is movable and determining the path of movement of the latter and movable into and out of a position in which said second-referred-to member in its movement by said drive member engages the articles, a check-rest between which and said third member a check is receivable, said third member when engaging a check between it and said check-rest extending into a position for causing said second-referred-to memher, when actuated, to engage and advance the article, means operating to move said third member to cheek-releasing position following the delivery of the article, and means operating during the return movement of said drive member to normal position to move said third member into a position to receive, a check between said third member and said check-rest. V

GEORGE S. LEWIS. 

